The field of the invention is camera cranes and camera sliders. Camera cranes are often used in motion picture and television production. The motion picture or television camera is typically mounted on the front end of a crane arm with counterweights at the back end of the crane arm. The crane arm is pivotally supported on a base to allow the crane arm to tilt up and down about a tilt axis and from side-to-side about a pan axis. The base is typically supported on a camera dolly, wheeled mobile base, or truck.
Telescoping camera cranes have a telescoping arm that can extend and retract, providing far more capability than fixed length crane arms. However, existing telescoping camera cranes generally weigh several hundred kilograms, which exceeds the safe load carrying capacity of small portable camera dollies. Consequently, for filming in confined or less accessible spaces where only a small portable camera dolly can be used, there are few if any options for using a telescoping camera crane.
Of course, existing telescoping camera cranes can be made smaller which also makes them lighter. However, regardless of the size, the camera crane must be able to consistently hold the camera (and various associated payloads such as a remote camera head) in a steady position, even with the arm fully extended. As the camera crane size is reduced, the smaller structural components of the camera crane have reduced capability to resist unintended or undesirable camera movements, due to bending, flexing, twisting, or vibration. Accordingly, engineering challenges remain in designing a lightweight and compact telescoping camera crane.
Camera sliders have a camera mounting platform slidably attached onto a track or rail, for moving the camera linearly. Camera sliders are useful for recording or filming various types of sequences. For example, a camera slider may be for a single axis sequence, where the camera is simply moved linearly with the lens perpendicular to the track, or in a so-called push-in sequence, with the lens parallel to the track, for pushing into the scene. Using a camera head on the slide allows for panning or tilting during sliding movement. The track may optionally be inclined, adding further versatility.
However, most sliders have a limited payload capacity primarily because they lack any form of counterbalancing system. They can also be time consuming to set up and use. Consequently engineering challenges remain in the design of camera sliders.